tvOS 26: Apple’s Push for Cohesion and Expansion at WWDC 2025

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2025 will spotlight tvOS 26, an update characterized by strategic shifts in interface design, ecosystem unification, and gaming. While tvOS historically receives fewer headline changes than its sibling platforms, this cycle marks a significant alignment in vision and feature rollout across Apple’s operating systems.

Major Shift in Version Numbering

According to sources including MacRumors, Apple is abandoning sequential version numbers for a year-based scheme. With tvOS 18 replaced by tvOS 26, Apple aims to synchronize versions with iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS. This approach, representing the September 2025 to September 2026 release cycle, reflects Apple’s intent to reinforce cross-platform consistency for both users and developers.

VisionOS-Inspired Design Overhaul

Apple is introducing a sweeping redesign across its software, centering on a visionOS-inspired visual language. Reports from 9to5Mac